Accoucheur s chair



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NEWMAN W. SMITH, OF SHUTESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ACCOUCHEURS CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,795, dated October 16, 1849.

To ,all whom t may concern Be itknown that I, NEWMAN IV. SMITH, of Shutesbury, in the county of Franklin and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, physician, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs to be used in Cases of Midwifery, and which I call'the Ladies Solace or Accoucheurs Chair and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, which give a perspective view of the chair, in the position intended forgeneral use.

There are three sets of posts, or two in a set, called front, middle, and rear, and represented in the drawing by No. l, for front, No. 2, for middle, and No. 3, for rear posts.

The front posts are semi-circular on the top, with a tenon which is also semi-circular at the top, and extending up from the center of the post into a mortise in the under side of the seat rests, or frame S, each of the' front posts having, on the outside, three foot-rests, numbered, in the drawing, 9, 10, 1l, and on the inside two footerests, numbered in the drawing 12, 13.

.The middle posts are somewhat shorter than the front ones, and are connected by two rungs or ties, numbered I5, 16, in the drawing, which project through the posts far enough to pass through the two pairs of braces attached to them. The upper rung supports the lower part of the back, and revolves on the ends. f

The rear-posts are nearly twice the length of the middle posts, and are connected by two rungs, or ties, numbered 17, I8, the toprung, 1S, constituting the lower piece of the frame of the head-piece and revolves freely on its ends. It is intended to put casters on the bottom of the whole siX posts.

The seat, numbered 8, consists of a frame made as follows, viz; The back part of the frame is a rung or tie, numbered 23, passing through a projecting piece attached to j the front of the middle posts, near the top,

numbered 7, and revolves freely in such projection. There are two side pieces-the passing through the tenon and mortise, so as to permit the ends of the seat to be raised or lowered.

Directly in front of the rung which constitutes the back of the seat-frame, and attached to it, is a narrow frame, 8, varying in width, and covered with a cushion, and of such peculiar shape as to enable the patient to place the limbs on the outside or insidethe side-pieces being scalloped, for this purpose. The whole will be made clear, by reference to the drawing.

The seat'closely resembling that part of the -human frame from the knees to the breech. The back, numbered I4, consists of a frame off two side-pieces, av rung or tie, No. 16, as the lower end, passing through the middle postsnear the top, and of suili# cient length to receive the upper ends of the long braces, No. 5, on which rung or tie, the upper ends of the said long bra-ces, No. 5, and the upper ends of the middle posts are free to revolve. flhe upper end ofthe back is supported by pins, or screws, passing through the rear-posts, directly under the rung which is the bottom of the frame of the head-piece, and entering the side-pieces. There are, also, two rungs, orties, connecting the side-pieces of `the frame of the back-one about a fourth of the distance from the lower end, and the other about thc same distance from the upper end, designed especially to support the back and shoulders-the three rungs being scalloped to fitthe shape, and the back covered with a cushion well stuffed, and made full near the lower end to support the back of the patient.

y The head-piece, No. 24, is a frame placed directly above the back, between the rear posts; the bottom of the frame is rung No.

18, before described, and revolves freely iny the rear-posts, so as to throw the piece forward or backward, in any desired position; a strap attached to the top of the frame, with button-holes, may be fastened to a button in the top of each of the rear posts, to confine the head-piece in any position desired. The whole is covered with a cushion, and will be clearly illustrated by the drawino'.

pair of braces numbered, 6, are attached to the outside of the front and middle posts, one extremity on the foot-rest, No. 11, the other extremity on the rung, No. 15, each end revolving freely on the rest and rung aforesaid. A second pair of long braces,

3 0 groove.

No. 5, with horns or handles at the upper ends, are attached to the outside of the middle posts by the rung 16, passing through them; and to the outside of the rear posts 5 by the rung 17, passing through them and extending downward till they reach Vthe floor behind the rear posts. These braces revolve freely on the ends of rungs, 16, 17. A11- other hole may be made in the lower end of these braces, numbered 20, and by passing rungs No. 17, through these braces at 20, the top of the back will be lowered, and brought nearer to a horizontal position. A hole 22, may also be made in braces, No.

15 5, below the hole at 16, and by having run 2'0 17, passes through one end of these braces,

and then enters the rear-posts; and the braces revolve freely on the rung. The other end of the braces is covered with a thin metallic plate, and has a groove ofone third the length of the braces, through I,which a pair of tightening screws pass and enter the middle posts at 21, near the bottom, which will confine the braces, to the middle posts at any desired point of the The tightening screws are numbered 21.

The rungs 16, 17, have metallic screws inserted in the ends, which project beyond the braces sufficiently to receive nuts, which assist in holding the chair-frame together,

inside of the front posts, near the top.

These cords, or webs, and the horns or han- Y dles, in the upper ends of the long braces,

can be grasped at pleasure by the patient. A large-headed screw is inserted in the end of each rung or tie, except those which are above described as having nuts on, to hold the chair firmly together. A seat with a cushion made similar to that of an ordinary rocking-chair with a curtain around the edge to conceal the peculiar formation of this seat, may be laid upon this seat and thus render it useful in ordinary cases of sickness. The frame of the chair is to be constructed of wood; that which is light and strong is to be preferred-the plates on the ends of the inside braces and the screws and nuts are to be of metal, with suitable cushions. The usual position of the chair for use is that in which it is represented in the drawing, with all the posts perpendicular.

By means of the tightening screws, which pass through the grooves in the ends of the inside braces and enable the middle posts to be moved forward or backward, the angle which the seat makes with the back may be varied several degrees.

The upper end of the back may be lowered, as above described.

f The limbs, owing to the-peculiar conformation of the seat, may be within the front posts, or thrown without the front posts, and placed on any of the foot-rests, within or without the posts. The horns or handles, on the upper ends of the long braces, and the cord or web attached to the front posts may be readily grasped and assist the patient.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. rlhe seat, which from its peculiar form and structure, closely resembles that part of the human frame between the knees and the breech. I

2. And I further claim, varying the angle which the seat makes with the back, by moving the middle posts forward` or backward by means of the tightening screws, 21, and

the grooves on the front ends of breech, 4, through which groove the tightenin screws pass into said middle posts, 2, the o ject of all of which is to afford relief to a patient in travail, by means of changing her position and furnishing supports for her feet and limbs, and objects for her hands to grasp. y

NEWMAN W. SMITH.

Attest: n

EDWARD DIGKENSEN, E. G. BowDoIN. 

